[nagdu] Jogging with dog Guide

Thu Mar 27 00:47:11 UTC 2014

Tai,

I use a nylon harness, of which I have two types customized for my 
poodle's build. If I'm on easy ground, like a track or really even turf, 
I use whichever one she is wearing as I use it when she is guiding at 
normal speed. If there are a lot of ups and downs in the ground, I may 
attach the leash to the metal loop at the back of the back strap to use 
as a more flexible handle. I can still feel her movements pretty well 
without hampering her movements or jerking on the harness by accident. 
I've never thought of getting a more flexible handle like the one Rox 
mentioned. D'oh!

Tami

On 03/26/2014 02:37 PM, Tai Blas wrote:
> Rox and Tami:
>
> What types of harnesses did you used to run with your dogs?
>
> Tai Tomasi
> J.D. Candidate, class of 2014
> Email: tai.tomasi8 at gmail.com
> Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse my brevity and any grammatical errors.
>
>> On Mar 26, 2014, at 3:49 PM, Tami Jarvis <tami at poodlemutt.com> wrote:
>>
>> Tai,
>>
>> I was wondering if the way the harness works had something to do with why your trainer didn't want you using it for jogging. I have two different harness styles, one being an On The Go sports style made by Julie when she was doing it for a business. It has a lot of play in the handle and in how it allows for my poodle's style of motion, so I use that for jogging and cross country hiking and so on. The Laveau style harness from Pawpower Creations also works for those types of activity, but I'm not as comfortable because I worry about bumping her too much with the martingale if I'm not in sync. That may not be the harness, though. /smile/ Every now and then, I catch myself jogging on the sidewalk because my dog wants to go fast. I think that's asking for trouble, the nature of sidewalks being what it is, so I try to keep myself from doing that. It's kinda fun, though... /shrug/
>>
>> I had to get comfortable jogging without sight before I tried it with Mitzi, although I was practicing while she was running her youthful energy off, and she thought it was great fun when I ran, too. /smile/ If I can, I like running solo with her to help me orient with her bells and/or squeaky ball. I've also jogged with her on leash and with her in harness. I keep threatening to find a nice track for regular jogging, but am too lazy to work out the route... So much for my dedication to exercise. /lol/
>>
>> Funny. I remember some startled silence when I first mentioned jogging with the guide dog, but I didn't notice an actual controversy... Then again, since I started out by training my own guide dog, I learned to ignore controversy over anything guide dog-related in a hurry. /lol/
>>
>> Have fun!
>>
>> Tami
>>
>>> On 03/26/2014 11:41 AM, Tai Blas wrote:
>>> Tracy,
>>> I have heard that the traditional guiding harness can hurt the dogs back when jogging. I do not think it allows for the type of natural lateral motion a dog needs while running. This might be something with which a different style harness, possibly a nylon harness with a softer backstrap, could assist.
>>>
>>> Tai Tomasi
>>> J.D. Candidate, class of 2014
>>> Email: tai.tomasi8 at gmail.com
>>> Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse my brevity and any grammatical errors.
>>>
>>>> On Mar 26, 2014, at 1:32 PM, "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> If your dog already can guide you at a fast pace, why not try jogging with her in harness?  It seems more reliable to me than trying to get her to leash guide at a fast pace.
>>>> I'm not a runner, but, if I wanted to try it, I'd try, at least to begin with, in a relatively clear area, like a jogging track, where there should be less stuff for me to fall over.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tai Blas" <taiablas at gmail.com>
>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2014 2:19 PM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Jogging with dog Guide
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hello, all. I know this is a controversial topic, and I do not want to start a flame war, but I would like to hear from people who have jogged with their dogs. I have spoken with instructors at my school, and although they do not recommend running with a dog, they did say it can be done as long as I do not run with my dog in harness. My dog does not typically leash guide, so I will need to work with her on that skill.  She does leash guide  informally in some situations, and I realize that if we are running, I cannot expect her to guide me flawlessly as she would do in harness. I know that I will probably trip and fall, but it is worth the risk to me. My dog loves to go fast. In fact, our walking speed is nearly a jog at times. There have been several instances where we have needed to run through airports to catch airplanes.  In those cases, she has guided me perfectly.
>>>>>
>>>>> I Recently read about Kerry Kuck, a graduate of guide dogs for the blind who ran with his dog. For those that do this successfully, what types of leashes or other harnesses do you use? Any input is appreciated. Again, I would respectfully ask that you refrain from posting overcritical responses on  this controversial issue. Many people would not feel comfortable with, or support, running with a guide dog. That said, I know many users out there who do this and am hoping to hear from them regarding tips  and techniques.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Tai Tomasi
>>>>> J.D. Candidate, class of 2014
>>>>> Email: tai.tomasi8 at gmail.com
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse my brevity and any grammatical errors.
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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